What is 'applied patristics'?

The following should be understood only as suggestions for understanding the idea of 'applied patristics'.

The term 'applied patristics' might sound odd. We are used to the idea of 'applied philosophy', but it seems that this concept draws on inherent philosophical ideas, that makes such an idea feasible.

Patristics is to a large degree an historical discipline. If the idea of 'applied patristic' sounds odd, this might be a main reason. But it is also exactly a reason why it makes sense to conceptualize this as a unique discipline.

There is a tendency that Patristic scholars, Church historians, intellectual historians working with early Christianity, and the like, are reluctant to engage in dialogue with contemporary discussion, even in related fields. There are, of course, good reasons for this, the risk of anachronisms being just one.

This reluctance is somewhat sad when considering that the Church Fathers often had a practical purpose when developing their ideas. But by defining a discipline that explicitly aims to bridge this gap, there might be a chance of producing fruitful conversations.

So what should we understand by 'applied patristics' as a discipline?

First of all, by 'patristics', we should understand any kind of study into the thinking (e.g. philosophy, theology), life and context of the Church Fathers.

Secondly, by 'application' we should understand the act of applying, on the one hand, the ideas, methods, and insights of the Church Fathers to contemporary issues, and on the other, the act of applying the insights that scholarship might gain from studying the thinking and life of the Church Fathers.

In order to understand our task in a more systematic manner we should first of all distinguish between theoretical and practical application.

By contemporary issues we should understand a broad range of themes. Some of these might belong to theological categories (systematic theology, dogmatics, exegesis, practical theology) or philosophical categories (metaphysics, epistemology, ethics). But more concrete, and even non-academic, themes might also be relevant, such as popular religion, political questions, technology and the like.

- Johannes Aakjær Steenbuch